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chapter 13 Ceramics and Their Use at Cerén Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett, with contributions by Ronald L. Bishop Introduction and Methodology The overall objective of the Cerén ceramic analysis program has been to use the material record to reconstruct aspects of household life and community -level organization. Because of Cerén’s unique recovery circumstances, with structures destroyed during their active use rather than following abandonment , it has been possible to analyze sets of vessels according to their in-use provenience. As set forth in the Introduction (Chapter 1), three categories of domestic structures have been recognized among the buildings excavated: storehouses, domiciles, and kitchens (see Table 1.1). By virtue of physical proximity, structures are assumed to have been used by the same coresidential group that we are calling a household (see Chapters 5–8). Other structures appear to be special purpose, nonhousehold buildings (see Chapters 9–12). Both household ceramic inventories and those from nondomestic structures are examined in this chapter. As the first step in the analytical process, each vessel or group of sherds recovered from an in-use provenience was recorded onto a standardized description form for postseason coding and analysis. Figure 13.1 presents the most recently used form, which incorporates refinements from earlier seasons . Most vessels have been assigned to typological units based on earlier published data for the Zapotit án Valley (Beaudry 1983) or other parts of El Salvador , mainly Chalchuapa (Sharer 1978a).The method used to classify the pottery is the type-variety system. The theory behind this system and its application to Mesoamerican ceramics are well established (Gifford 1960, 1976; Henderson and BeaudryCorbett 1993; Willey, Culbert, and Adams 1967). It is a hierarchical system in which ceramic types are divided into more precise units (varieties) on the basis of minor variations in decoration or other criteria. Ceramic types, in turn, are combined into ceramic groups which share more general characteristics of paste, surface treatment, and decoration. Another major part of the analytical process involved chemical compositional analysis of the Cerén material by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), done in collaboration with Ronald L. Bishop, Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE). More than two hundred samples are currently in the Cerén paste compositional database, which includes various shapes and sizes of utilitarian pottery, painted serving vessels , special purpose ceramic objects, and some discarded sherds.1 These three approaches to the ceramic corpus— typological classification, functional inventory assessment, and chemical compositional analysis —provide information about varied aspects of households and the community, as summarized in Table 13.1. Ceramic artifacts other than pottery vessels have also been recovered. Those objects, which include spindle whorls, partial figurines, sherd disks, and an incomplete double ring, are summarized briefly in Appendix 13A. Additional analyses, including tabulations of discarded sherds and classification 118 beaudry-corbett, with contributions by bishop figure 13.1. Pottery description form. table 13.1. Information Sought from Ceramic Analysis Program Nature of Information Analytic Source Household Composition Size Classification; inventory by household Stage of life Inventory by structure, by household Roles within community (economic; religious) Classification; inventory; INAA Where sustenance activities done Inventory by structure Participation in non-sustenance activities (communal; craft) Inventory by household, by structure Procurement of durable goods (pottery containers including special purpose pieces) INAA Community Intracommunity organization (household variability in status, specialization, Inferences from various analyses ritual) Economic well-being Variety of goods available Classification Quality of goods available Classification Sources supplying goods INAA Ethnic and cultural affiliation (directionality of communication) Classification, INAA Standing within networks (intraregional and interregional) Accessibility to imports INAA Participation in extralocal affairs INAA; inferences from other analyses of Postclassic materials, have been undertaken but won’t be discussed in this chapter. Details of that work can be found in the project’s yearly reports. Findings classification The types and varieties have been grouped into a classificatory unit, the Joya Complex. The ceramic complex represents the complete range of pottery available at a community during a specified time period (Gifford 1976). It is not too likely that new units will be added to the Joya Complex, because only one new variety has been established since the 1989 field season. Table 13.2 summarizes the Joya Complex components , along with the source for their detailed descriptions. Observations about the more salient typological features of the Cerén pottery follow. Decoration on utilitarian vessels, including those used...

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